


Stars Above Us

by kosmicdust (orphan_account)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Allura is Sarabi, Altean Hunk (Voltron), Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Pidge | Katie Holt, Altean Shiro (Voltron), Alternate Universe - The Lion King Fusion, Character Death, Coran is Zazu, Established Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Hunk is Pumbaa, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Keith is Nala, Keith is Not Okay, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, Lance is Simba, Lotor is Scar, Lotor needs help, Lotor's Generals are the hyenas, Multi, Pidge is Timon, Prince Lance (Voltron), Shiro is Mufasa, i swear i'm so close to finishing, it's not major if it's the parents, lion king AU, lotor wants keith, mostly based off the lion king, the whole keitor thing is based off the musical
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14464920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/kosmicdust
Summary: Prince Lance of Altea was a perfectly happy fourteen-year-old before his adopted brother screwed everything up. Now his parents, Shiro and Allura, are dead, and he abandoned his best-friend-slash-crush to run away to the rainforest. Pidge and Hunk are great, but he has to go back eventually. Eventually, Lance is going to have to face the fact that he's really king and Lotor can't have everything.Lotor can't have Altea, Keith, and Lance's honor.Someday, Lance is going to have to reclaim his throne.





	1. Do You See Them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey I hope you read the tags  
> because angst is so much fun to write  
> it's not enough to go with disney-level angst
> 
> so just  
> read those?  
> yeah.

Celebrating the birth of Prince Lance was a beautiful event. Lotor had managed not to storm off with a pout this time, and everything was calm, The kingdom was bowing and cheering for the fact that they were alive- in Altea, the words of their kingdom’s promise was, “All that lives is connected, and we are a part of this wonderful world.”

The people were happy. There were no riots, no spontaneous attacks from the Galra. All was peaceful, and seeing everything so calm made Shiro and Allura happy. They had their beautiful child, a strong, healthy boy who would grow up to become a king destined for greatness. Everything was right with the world.

King Shiro and Queen Allura knew that it wouldn’t last. The Galra would try and attack again. The two halfbreeds, Lotor and the newborn Keith, would still be caught on the border of abomination and something to possess. Yet that didn’t deter the king and queen. This moment was all that mattered.

Shiro and Allura glanced at each other, matching smiles upon their faces. Sometimes, it was okay to forget about the real world. There was Lance, and there was their people. Everything would be fine.

For now.

…

“ _ DAAAAD! _ ”

Lance came tearing into their room, grinning hugely. Today was the day that his father promised to show him the kingdom, what was outside of the palace. Yeah, it was kind of crazy to not have seen the outside until he was five years old, but here he was! Lance was beyond excited. To finally see the outside… it was his dream. What Lance had longed for over the course of his entire life- or, at least, since he could long for something.

Shiro and Allura were lying curled up together, almost hugging. Lance, being a typical five-year-old, thought it was gross when his parents acted all loving, but even he could admit that it was always nice to see his parents relaxed. Being the king and queen of Altea, they were almost always busy and stressed.

“‘Llura, your son is awake,” Shiro mumbled, nudging her slightly.

Lance sighed and clambered onto their bed, bouncing up and down slightly. “Come on, dad! Dad, dad, let’s go!”

“Until sunrise, he’s your son,” Allura mumbled back, burrowing deeper into the blankets.

Shiro opened his eyes and sat up, shaking his head. “Alright. Let’s go, Lance.”

Lance smiled brightly, the markings on his cheeks practically glowing.

Father and son walked through the palace halls. Despite being up before the sun, there were plenty of servants about. People spared a small smile to see their king and crown prince walking together, the scene heartwarming. The way Shiro and Lance looked at each other with such happy expressions that could only be seen between parent and child- it was beautiful.

Lance took a deep breath as Shiro opened the doors to the castle for the day, and the pale early-morning light poured in. The outside was dazzling. A long bridge was in front of him. People were scattered along it, walking to and from the castle. Water flowed underneath, and he could even hear the roar of the waterfall.

It was amazing.

“Dad, this is so cool! It’s so awesome!”

Shiro’s expression softened even more than it had already. The raw emotion was more real than most people would ever experience. Seeing Lance happy had that effect- the young boy radiated energy and enthusiasm, the kind that could be found in children, long before they’re turned away from that light with the burdens of growing older.

Shiro hoped he would never have to see that light fade from his innocent son.

“Lance, let me tell you something.” Shiro knelt next to Lance, making their faces level. He looked into Lance’s shining blue eyes. “Do you see all of this? Everything the light touches… that’s our kingdom. That’s our land. Altea.”

Lance nodded. “Wow…” He looked past Shiro’s head, and his eyes widened. “What about that dark, shadowy place?”

“You can’t ever go there, okay, Lance? That’s Galra land.”

Lance gasped. “Galra?”

“It’s okay,” Shiro said soothingly, resting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “They can’t hurt you if you stay away.”

Lance nodded furiously, looking seriously at his father.

“Now, go and explore for a few minutes. I’ll be right here, don’t worry,” Shiro said, gently pushing Lance further out onto the bridge. “Maybe you’ll make some friends.”

Lance smiled and walked away from Shiro, going over to the edge of the bridge. He gripped the railing, which was taller than him, and arched his neck to peek over it. The shimmering expanse of water below him might have been the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

Lance stared at it for a few more moments, and probably would have stayed like that, had he not heard a sharp cry and the thump of something hitting the ground. He turned and looked around for the source.

He spotted a young boy, around his age, on the ground. A dropped basket of bread rested beside him. There was something off about him. He had dark purple hair and fuzzy ears that stuck out, which were tilted downwards in unhappiness. His skin was a pale, nearly translucent purple. It was actually pretty cool. Lance was almost jealous. He reached up and touched his own pointy ears, which were almost hidden by his mop of white hair- the trademark feature of the royal family.

Then the boy got up, his eyes wide, and it hit Lance. That boy’s eyes were such an intense violet, it took Lance’s breath away.

Lance ran over to the boy, smiling. “Hi!”

The boy looked up at him with a frown. “Um… hey?” He sounded awkward and kind of quiet.

“I’m Lance!” Lance said enthusiastically, holding out his hand. The boy took it and stood up. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Keith,” the boy said.

“Keef?”

“No, Keith,” the boy, Keith, reiterated.

“Keef?”

“ _ Keith _ .”

“Okay, Keef,” Lance said anyway, grinning brightly. “Do you want to be friends?”

“Uh… okay?” Keith replied, more like a question than an answer.

“Cool!” Lance squeaked. “Do you want to meet my dad? He’s king!”

“Your dad is King Shiro?” Keith asked. “You’re Prince Lance?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be king some day!”

Keith nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay what?” Lance asked, confused.

“Okay, I wanna meet your dad,” Keith explained.

“Cool!” Lance said. He grabbed Keith’s wrist and pulled him towards his father, who had started talking with Coran, the royal advisor. Coran was also Lance’s teacher, so Coran had been pretty much his only friend. But now he had Keith!

“Dad!” Lance called. “I made a friend! His name is Keef!”

“Keef?” Shiro echoed, frowning, then looking at Keith. His eyes widened in realization. “Oh, Keith! It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Hi,” Keith said, ducking behind Lance slightly.

A girl, older than Lance and Keith, ran out from the palace and whispered something to Coran. The orange-haired man’s eyes widened, and he turned back to Shiro. “Galra! In Altea!”

“Galra, here?” Shiro frowned grimly. “Keith, why don’t you go into the castle with Lance. I know that you don’t really have anyone waiting for you, so you can make friends with Lance a bit more while you wait. Let’s go, Coran.”

“Take me with you!” Lance objected. “Dad!”

“Not this time, Lance.”

The two men set off, while the girl ushered Lance and Keith back into the palace. Keith looked around with widened eyes, while Lance just felt bored.

“I’ve never been here before,” Keith whispered.

“It’s not fun,” Lance complained. “I’ve been here  _ forever _ , it’s so boring.”

Keith’s shoulders hunched. “Yeah, I guess.”

Lance was confused by Keith, but he just shrugged it off. “Wanna see the crystals?”

…

It wasn’t like Lance ever  _ forgot _ about that conversation. It just… slipped his mind, the whole Galra thing. People avoided talking about it, and Lance’s curiosity was kept at bay. He began to be really close with Keith. Lance had learned to say his name correctly, and it… was calm.

As they got older, Keith told Lance about being a half-breed. Lance had kind of figured that out, since he didn’t look like a Galra from the storybooks, but he definitely wasn’t super Altean. That made a lot of things click- the weird looks Keith got, and the fact that he wasn’t allowed to be alone in any part of the castle. Lance also learned that Keith’s parents had died a long time ago, and now he was what was called an indentured servant. Keith described it as being a slave. Lance thought it couldn’t be too bad- at least Keith had freedom to go wherever, and he seemed relatively happy. Except, sometimes, Keith would show up with marks. Whenever that happened, his parents or Coran would drag Keith away somewhere that Lance didn’t know.

Lance didn’t really have that much emotional baggage to share in return- until they were ten. On that day, Lance pulled Keith down to the lagoon to swim, and that was when Lance realized he had never seen Keith without a shirt or long pants or anything. That was when Lance decided he was in love with Keith. He had never seen anyone so… he didn’t have any words to describe it. Pretty? Cool? Amazing. And it wasn’t just Keith’s appearance. When the possibility occurred to him, Lance fell in love with that attitude and those smiles.

That was when Lance had something to hide from Keith. Because what if Keith didn’t like him back? Lance had read books where one person was in love with someone and they got rejected. What if it happened to him? Lance would hate it if that ever happened.

…

When they were thirteen, Lance realized that Lotor had never met his best friend, which was kind of weird. So he and Keith went up to the observatory and annoy Lotor, who had seemed really… off. Lotor had been weirdly nice to Keith. Normally Lotor was dismissive or just acted like he hated Lance- which, maybe he did. Lotor had no chance at the throne with Lance around. Lance didn’t like to think about that, though. But this time, Lotor had acted…

Like he liked Keith? Maybe genuine like, maybe  _ like like _ , the way Lance had liked Keith for the past three years.

Lance hadn’t thought the word “like” so much as he had at that time since he realized he liked Keith.

Dear Lion Goddess, it would be weird if Lotor liked Keith. He was, like, five years older than Lance and Keith! Not to mention Lance’s adopted brother.

No, not going any further into that.

But when they were thirteen, the looks that Keith had been getting since forever were less “abomination” as people liked to put it, and more… more wanting? Pining? Lustful?

Keith was only thirteen! Goddess.

But during that conversation with Lotor, the older half-breed had casually mentioned a graveyard on the edge of Altea. And Lance couldn’t pass that opportunity up.

“Hmm, have you two ever been to that Galra graveyard on the edge of our territory?” Lotor asked, then widened his eyes. “Oh, you’re not supposed to know about that! I forgot.”

“Galra graveyard?” Lance echoed, smiling. “That sounds awesome!”

“Promise me you’ll  _ never, never _ go there,” Lotor said, his voice dripping with honey-sweet, fake affection.

“Sure,” Lance promised, though it was a promise he intended to break.

Lotor glanced at Keith again, the ghost of a smile upon his lips. “You seem interesting, Keith. Maybe we can spend some more time together on another day.”

Keith subtly edged behind Lance, something that he recognized from only happening when Keith was nervous. Lance wasn’t sure what exactly it was that had bothered Keith, but he could bet it was all Lotor’s fault.

“Yeah, maybe another day,” Keith said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. His hand quickly reached out for Lance’s, and he pulled the prince away, not looking back at Lotor once.

…

Lance had absolutely no reason to honor that fake promise he made to Lotor. Number one, he was never serious, number two, Keith clearly had something against Lotor, maybe for reasons Lance didn’t want to believe, and number three, who cared about Lotor? The guy was only five years older and not even Lance’ real older brother. No, Lance would not stay away from the graveyard.

When Lance decided he wanted to do something, he didn’t wait long. So the day after that conversation- Keith had left right after- he told Shiro he was going to the “lagoon”. Clearly his father didn’t buy it, because he still sent Coran with them. Coran! Lance wasn’t a child anymore! His birthday was in a week!

“How are we going to ditch him?” Keith whispered to Lance, looking cautiously at the cheerful man walking in front of them.

“I know!” Lance exclaimed. “We should talk about how great of a king I’ll be. He  _ hates _ that.”

“Oh, look at you two,” Coran said loudly, interrupting their conversation as he looked back at them. “Like two little lovebirds- shame, I remember my glory days. There was this one woman, her name was something strange, like… Cherry? Sherry? But, one day…”

“Or not,” Lance said, pulling Keith away by his wrist. He grinned at the dark-haired boy. “That was easy.” Then he noticed the prominent blush on Keith’s face. Lance’s heart leaped. “What?”

“N-nothing,” Keith objected. “Just…”

“Just what?” Lance asked, genuinely curious- he was  _ not _ just asking because he wanted to know if he had made Keith all flustered.

“Just… y’know, he… c-called us lovebirds?”

That little stammer made Lance’s tiny heart melt.

“Aw, that? Well… are we?”

“Sorry?” Keith said, eyes wide with shock. Yeah, that blush was definitely getting darker.

“Do you want to be my lovebird?” Lance asked, very carefully keeping his voice steady. What was he doing? Keith probably didn’t want him, they were… friends… and there was Lotor yesterday… and…

“Maybe,” Keith said, straightening his back and lifting his hands to Lance’s cheeks. “Do you want to be mine?” He leaned in suddenly and pressed his lips to… to… aw. Just on the tip of Lance’s nose. Not on the lips.

Lance knew that he had to be redder than Keith at this point. There was no way he wasn’t. Right? Oh Goddess, what was he doing?

Keith smiled and then pulled away from Lance, running in front of him, fast enough for Lance not to have a chance to catch up. “Too bad I’m not taking offers right now.” His laugh carried down to Lance.

“H-hey!” Lance exclaimed, racing after Keith. “You can’t just do that!”

“I just did!” Keith called back. Lance could practically hear his grin. “Bet you can’t catch me.”

“Bet I can!” Lance objected.

Their laughter floated in the wind. They were happy, although maybe a bit confused- no, a lot confused- but… they were okay. Smiling.

That happiness wouldn’t last forever.

…

“Pinned you again,” Keith said, grinning down at Lance.

Lance was lying on his back, staring up at Keith, and equally ridiculous smile on his face. Keith was practically straddling Lance, and they both realized this at the same time, scrambling up. Not that Lance minded if they stayed like that any longer. Wait, wait, no- they were only thirteen. Almost fourteen. Right?   


Sexual tension. Goddess. Lance had no idea what he and Keith were at this point.

“Wow, look! I think we’re here!” Lance exclaimed. He looked around at the dark valley. It wasn’t totally freaky, like, it looked kind of like a normal graveyard, but it was  _ Galra _ , so it was cool.

Keith walked over to a statue of a Galra raising his fist towards the sky. His hand reached up and touched the smooth stone. Lance didn’t understand what was going through the other boy’s head right now. Was it curiosity? Nervousness?

“So this is what a real Galra looks like, huh…?” Keith whispered. “Not that different from me.”

Lance thought that Keith actually did look different from that statue. Surely a full-blooded Galra could never feel those strong emotions that Keith always had. Besides, who cared what Keith was? He was still  _ Keith _ , just as powerful and beautiful as the best Alteans. He didn’t deserve to be looked down upon for simply being half-Galra. He didn’t deserve those looks he had gotten his entire life.

While Lance ran these thoughts over in his mind, he snapped out of it and realized a tear had rolled down Keith’s cheek.

“Keith… are you okay…?” That was a stupid question, obviously he wasn’t, but Lance didn’t know what to say.

“No,” Keith whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Lance walked up to Keith’s side and stood there, hoping his presence would be enough for the boy that had been his best friend his entire life. Hopefully Lance was enough for Keith.

...

They stood there in silence for a while, but eventually the melancholy was shattered. Soft footsteps sounded behind them, and the pair turned. Three Galra stood there. Lance was almost numbed to any emotion after that, and everything felt fuzzy, but his brain registered the danger in those three.

“Galra,” he managed to say, shaking Keith.

“What do we do?” Keith asked softly, taking a step back, but the statue was behind him.

“Well, what do we have here?” one of the Galra said. She was tall and buff, and Lance didn’t want to get into a fight with her. “An Altean… and a traitor!”

“Not the prince, obviously,” a different one said, her gaze calculating. “Some other bastard child.”

“What do you think, Narti? Should we attack them?” the buff one asked the third Galra.

“Narti” nodded. She didn’t speak at all, and Lance couldn’t see her eyes.

“You can’t do anything to us!” Lance objected, puffing out his chest and stepping forward, shielding Keith, even though he knew the half-Galra could fight, probably better than Lance could. Keith was too sensitive right now to fight. “I’m gonna be king someday, and you’d regret attacking us!”

“ _ Shiro and Allura’s _ son. What a prize.”

“Lance! Keith!” Coran’s shout echoed across the graveyard, and Lance turned to spot the orange-haired advisor half-running, half-falling down the steep hill. When he reached the two boys, he slung an arm around both of them. “My my, look at the time. It seems we have to go!”

“But you just  _ got here _ , huh?” The buff one snarled.

“Run!” Coran yelled.

The three scattered, running all over the graveyard. Lance lost sight of Keith and Coran- his only goal was to get to the exit. It was so close, just up ahead- if he could get through there he’d be free.

Then Lance stopped when he saw Coran get flung up in the air. He didn’t want to think about that, but… Lance was stupid and stubborn. He saw the Galra gathered around the spot Coran had come from. “Pick on someone your own size!”

“Like you?” the cold one said. The Galra tore after Lance, and he ran off, trying not to scream. He spotted Keith and ran towards him. The two boys reached the cliffside, but couldn’t climb up it.

“We’re trapped,” Lance gasped.

Keith said nothing, but that worried look was enough.

“Stay away!” Lance cried as the Galra approached. “Leave us alone!”

Then Shiro dove into the valley from seemingly nowhere and jumped on the buff Galra. He fought all three of them himself- swift kicks in the stomach and a harsh slap from his metal arm, and the Galra ran away, whimpering.

“Dad, I…” Lance started, but he didn’t know what to say. Shiro turned toward him, the ferocity of battle dying from his eyes.

“Didn’t I always tell you not to go here?” Shiro asked. “Lance, I’ve been telling you not to go beyond our borders since you were five. You’re almost fourteen.”

“I’m sorry,” Lance whispered, hanging his head low.

Coran had come back, and he and Lance’s father led the way back to the palace. Keith fell into step with Lance.

“I thought you were brave,” Keith said quietly to Lance, but it was obviously half-hearted. Lance thought back to how tired Keith had seemed before, and felt even more guilty. Keith didn’t deserve this.

…

It was late. The stars were shining bright in the sky, and they were in a field not far from the village and palace.

“Keith, go back to the village,” Shiro said exhaustedly. “Coran, go back to the castle and tell everyone we’re okay. I need to talk to Lance.”

Lance watched Keith go, then turned to his father. Shiro’s dark eyes were unreadable, and Lance didn’t know what to expect. He felt terrible, but he had never gotten into trouble like this before. Maybe playing pranks, or something, but never anything on this scale.

“Lance, I’m disappointed in you. I thought you were better than this.” Shiro sighed.

“I know,” Lance whispered, trying not to cry.

“You could have been killed. Keith could have been killed. You completely ignored what I’ve told you.”

“I just wanted to be brave, like you,” Lance said, his voice cracking. Tears really did prick his eyes, but he took a deep breath, trying to stay composed.

“I’m only brave when I need to be brave, for all of you,” Shiro told Lance quietly. “Lance, being brave doesn’t mean looking for a reason to be brave. Being brave is having the strength to face whatever’s coming, but not deliberately getting into trouble.”

“But you’re not scared of anything…”

“I was scared of something today.”

“Of what?” Lance asked, surprised. What could his father, king of Altea, possibly be scared of?

“Of losing you,” Shiro said. He rested his hands on Lance’s shoulders, bending down a little bit to meet his son’s eyes, so similar to what he had done so long ago. “But you know what? Those Galra learned that nobody ever messes with your  _ father _ .” He grinned and patted Lance’s back.

Shiro sat down in the soft grass, and Lance did the same. Shiro pointed up at the sky. “Look up there, Lance. What do you see?”

“The stars?” Lance asked, confused.

“Up there are the great kings and queens of the past. Your grandfather, Alfor is up there. Alfor’s father. His father’s mother. And on, and on to the dawn of our civilization.” Shiro’s eyes were bright, and he smiled softly. “Someday, I’ll be up there, and so will your mother. If you ever feel alone, just look up there and remember they are looking down on you, always there to guide you. And so am I.”

Lance relaxed into the grass, and the two watched the stars.

…

“I don’t understand,” Lotor muttered. “I practically gave those two to you! But you failed to kill the prince or even hurt him. Instead you came running back here with your tails between your legs and fear in your eyes!”

“I’m sorry, Lotor, but the king showed up, and we can’t take him,” Acxa objected. “We’re just not strong enough to fight him. There’s a reason he’s been in power almost our entire lives.”

“Not as long as Alfor,” Zethrid said, wrinkling her nose. It had been Alfor that had driven the Galra out of Altea, Alfor who had shamed all of them for being half-breeds. That old man had held on until his daughter was twenty-nine and pregnant. Normally, kings only lasted until their children were old enough to take the throne- around seventeen. After that, they were usually assassinated, or stepped down.

“Whatever,” Lotor said, rolling his eyes. “I’m surrounded by idiots.” His gaze went over to where Ezor, the fourth Galra in their group, was trying to teach Narti to play chess. She was blind, how would she possibly play?   


“What are we supposed to do, assassinate Shiro and Allura?” Zethrid asked sarcastically, aggressively tearing apart a piece of bread.

“Hmm… assassinate the king and queen…! Precisely,” Lotor said, an idea forming in his mind.

“Oh, good idea!” Ezor called to them. “No royalty! Yeah!”

“I suppose it’s a good idea,” Acxa mused.

“No,  _ I would be king! _ ” Lotor growled.

“But what about his son? Lance, yeah?” Acxa asked.

“He’s not going to be a problem,” Lotor said, grinning. “This is simply politics- kill the queen and king, drive out their son, and… it’ll be mine. Everything will be mine.”

“You got  _ someone _ in mind, Lotor?” Zethrid snorted, knowing that tone. It was Lotor’s “pining” voice. Whenever he was hooked on someone, or something, it was obsession.

“Shut up,” he snarled at her. Zethrid just shrugged.

Lotor looked up at the full moon and at those same stars.

“In a week’s time… my ‘foster parents’ will be dead, and Altea will be mine.”

...


	2. Always With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's favorite scene! Wow!

“Alright, stay  _ right there _ ,” Lotor said. “I have a surprise for you, but it won’t work if you go somewhere else.”

Lance looked up at his adopted brother with wide eyes. “Okay. What is the surprise?”

“It won’t be a surprise if I tell you,” Lotor chastisted. “Be patient, Lance. It’ll be soon.”

“Well, will I like the surprise?” Lance tried. He really just wanted to know something about this surprise Lotor claimed he had. Lotor had  _ never _ given him a gift before, let alone a surprise. Lotor had never played a prank on Lance either- he wasn’t really the type- so Lance was pretty sure this wasn’t a trick.

“It’s to  _ die for _ , my dear brother.”

Lance watched Lotor walk away. It had been about a week and a half since the Galra graveyard incident. The sheer embarresment Lance had felt when he faced his mother, his father, and Coran, then later with Keith, over what had happened was like a cloud above his head.

Now, Lance was standing in a dry riverbed. The water in it had been blocked up for aqeducts in the city, which was stored in a reserve upstream. It felt empty, like there should have been crystal-clear water flowing through here. Lance grew bored as he waited. He fiddled with his royal tunic. He carded his fingers through his hair. He sat down, then stood up, then jogged in place.

“I’m  _ soooooo _ bored,” Lance complained to no one, dragging out the word. He wished he had Keith with him, or his mother, or father, or even Coran. But no, he was alone, just waiting for Lotor’s stupid present.

Then… the ground seemed to shake below him. Lance wasn’t sure if it was in his head or not, but he heard the roar of a wave. Lance turned to see water rushing towards him, waves upon waves, and it was huge. Like a tsunami.

He let out a scream and ran forward- but he wouldn’t be able to outrun this for long. Water was faster than Lance. And Lance could swim, but he couldn’t swim in  _ that _ .

…

“This is boring. Why can’t we just assassinate the royal family and be done with it?” Zethrid asked, rolling her eyes. “Or just kill one of the guards? That’d make this more fun.”

“Quiet,” Acxa commanded. “This needs to look like an accident. It wouldn’t work if they find dead bodies.”

“Just… one of the weak ones? Nobody would notice if he went missing,” Zethrid begged, flexing her claws.

“We’re going to wait for Lotor’s signal.” The harsh undertones of Acxa’s voice silenced Zethrid.

Acxa’s head snapped up as she spotted Lotor standing on a rock, arms crossed. He nodded as he met her gaze.

“It’s time,” Acxa said. Lotor vanished back behind the rock.

The two half-Galra crept toward the control room. It was empty- Lotor had called all of the workers outside to talk about some fake complaint. Without any troublesome people to get in the way, Acxa and Zethrid pulled the rope that, somehow, released the dam.

Zethrid grinned as she heard the water rushing down the cliff. “If that little princeling isn’t dead after this, somebody’ll be.”

…

“Father! Mother!” Lotor ran up to Shiro and Allura with fake fear. He was really going to put on a show for the death of these two. “The dam broke!”

“Strange,” Shiro observed.

“Do they know the cause? Have they fixed it yet?” Allura asked, frowning softly.

“Lance is down there!” Lotor exclaimed.

“Lance?” Shiro and Allura gasped in unison.

Lotor smirked a bit as he watched them run off to “save Lance”. This would be a fun day, indeed.

…

“The dam broke?” Keith asked the customer. “That’s weird. Is everyone okay?”

“Rumor has it that it was the prince,” the woman said. “Prince Lance, I mean.” She watched him carefully. Everyone knew that the little Galra halfbreed down in the village that worked under the blacksmith was friends with the prince. More than friends, according to some. Keith didn’t really mind those rumors. It kept people, especially the blacksmith, from messing with him too much.

“Wait, people think  _ Lance _ broke the dam?” Keith asked, frowning. Why would Lance break the dam? How? He didn’t, Keith was sure of that, but then who did? Did anyone? Was it an accident? Because no way would Lance ever do something like that, especially after the Galra graveyard.

Then again, the blacksmith had been working Keith harder since the graveyard, preventing him from seeing the prince. Keith knew that he could’ve just gotten the royal family to pay whatever debt he owed to the blacksmith- “his life”, apparently- and he could’ve been with Lance, but he didn’t want that. Of course Keith wanted to be free, but he would rather ignore the chain on his ankle at that moment instead of letting Lance think he was using him. So… maybe Lance was different. He had acted really apologetic about it last time Keith had seen him, but… that was days ago. Keith used to see Lance every day. Maybe something had happened to him.

“Yes, it’s a big deal, apparently,” the woman said. “It’s happening right now, I think. Wish I could let you see him, but… well, the blacksmith.” She shrugged. “I’m sure people will tell you about it. I don’t know much.”

Keith really wished the blacksmith would stop being stupid and let him just see Lance. What if Lance wasn’t okay? What if… What if…

“He’s probably fine,” the woman said, patting his back. “Don’t worry.”

Keith nodded, taking a deep breath. He would make it through this, and then he would see Lance again… he  _ had to _ .

…

Lance was exhausted. He couldn’t keep running for much longer. He saw a tree up ahead and used his last burst of energy to clamber to the top of that. It wasn’t nearly tall enough to stop him from getting soaked in water, and he knew that once the wave crashed down on him, there was nothing Lance could do.

“Lance!”

He wearily lifted his head at the sound of his name being called. His eyes felt like they could never open, and his drenched body was weighing him down.

“Just… help,” Lance mumbled, before letting himself slip away.

…

“Lance!” Allura called down to her son.

“What do we do?” Shiro muttered, pacing. “I…” Then he slid down into the valley.

“Shiro!” Allura cried. She turned to Lotor. “I’m so sorry, so sorry…”

“You will be,” Lotor said, flashing a grin. He shoved her off the cliff. Allura was never important, anyway. It was satisfying to see her hit the ground, to hear a small, sharp crack. She was dead. One down. One more to go- and if Lance was dead, well… Lotor was efficient, what could he say?

Lotor was fairly sure that Shiro and Lance would die, but just for good measure, he shouted, “Allura!” It seemed realistic, not that it mattered. Nobody around would remember. Nobody around would  _ be  _ around to remember.

“Allura!” Shiro cried as he turned his head to look at Allura’s dead body. But apparently he brushed that off quickly, because he reached Lance’s tree and grabbed the limp boy. Shiro was a very strong swimmer, and he managed to get Lance to a ledge, before falling back down. Lotor watched with interest. Would he be able to get away with actually killing only one of them? If so, Lotor needed to use plans like these more often.

Somehow, though, Shiro managed to claw his way back up the cliff. His metal arm was sparking, and Lotor peered over the edge, to where Shiro was struggling.

“Lotor! Help!” Shiro exclaimed, seeing him. “Help me up!”

“Oh, really?” Lotor asked. “Hmm… I’d rather…” He grabbed Shiro’s hands, lifting them off the cliffside. Then, with all his might, he pushed Shiro. “...not.”

Shiro’s body fell down, down, down, just like Allura’s.

Lotor was almost done here.

…

When Lance woke up, everything seemed dark. The river had slowed down to an even, slow pace, and it was easy to wade through it, to get to two lumps. What were those? It wasn’t…

But when Lance reached them, he realized it was the dead bodies of his parents.

“Mom! Dad!” Tears dripped down Lance’s face. “No… no, this isn’t real! This isn’t the surprise I wanted…”

The water flowed past, carrying Lance’s heavy tears. Every inch of him was covered in water, but the water mixed with salty tears. There was no way that what was going on was reality. His parents were alive, they loved him, they were always there for him…

_...always there to guide you… and so am I… _

“Mom. Dad,” Lance whispered, stepping closer and closer until his mother and father’s cold bodies pressed against his. “No…”

Lance needed someone. He couldn’t be alone. He wasn’t alone. He had… he had... 

“No…” he mumbled. Lance sat down in the shallow river, his head just above the water, and closed his eyes, leaning against them. This was a nightmare. Just a nightmare…

…

The next time he woke up, Lotor stood above him, an unreadable expression on that face. The face that Lance had accepted as a brother.

“You did this, Lance. You killed Mother and Father,” Lotor said. His voice was monotone, almost like he didn’t care.

“No! It was an accident, I swear…” Lance swallowed thickly. No, it  _ was  _ his fault, wasn’t it? He had done this. “What do I do, Lotor…?”

“You only have one choice,” Lotor said evenly. “Run. Run away, Lance. Run away far, where nobody can ever, ever find you. Where you can’t hurt us anymore.”

Lance stared up into Lotor’s lavender-colored eyes. Tears began to flow again. Silently, he stood up and ran.

Lance would never, never come back. He had done enough.

He had done too much.

They were dead, and he was alone.

Lance ran.

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhh  
> that hurt  
> sorry


	3. But the Darkness...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, I really hope you read the tags
> 
> innocent children's disney movie WHAT?

Keith hated this.

So much.

He was just one of the many people crowded around the palace, looking up at Lotor- no longer a prince. Soon to be  _ king _ . When it was supposed to be Lance.

Lance.

Oh Lion Goddess, Lance.

“This is a terrible loss to Altea,” Lotor said gravely. “It’s awful that my mother and father, the queen and king, are dead- and at the hands of none other than their own son, Prince Lance. The former prince is most likely dead. Once I discovered what he had done and his lust for power, I drove him out of the kingdom, but nobody survives in those barren lands.”

Lance was dead. He was, completely and fully, dead. Labeled a traitor. Worth nothing to all of the people that had loved him for fourteen years. It could have been fifteen years. Fifty. Longer. But instead, Lance was dead.

Keith  _ knew _ Lance couldn’t have done this. He was so perfect, and he loved his family, even Lotor… yet all of these people were just willing to accept that he had killed them, that Lotor had sweeped in at the last second.

But what other explanation was there? Keith’s tired brain couldn’t come up with reasons that this was wrong- it was set up perfectly. Lance in the canyon. Lance luring his parents to their deaths.

It was stupid, and wrong, and Keith knew this… but he couldn’t come up with factual evidence that would make people realize this, too. Who would listen to the word of a little Galra mutt like him, anyway?

“So it is with a heavy heart that I take the throne,” Lotor drawled in a way that made Keith shiver. “But first- I want to introduce real peace to Altea for the first time in thousands of years.”

Keith’s eyes widened as Galra appeared. Slowly, at first. But they just kept coming, like an endless tide, coming to swallow them whole…

…

Lance had to be dead. It was impossible that he would survive out in the desert like this for much longer without water.

Ha. Ironic. The boy who killed his parents with water dying because he didn’t have any.

“Miss… you…” he whispered, his voice cracking as he looked up at the bright sun glaring into his eyes. Was he hallucinating the sound of running water, or the scent of wet leaves? No way did he stumble across an oasis just in time for him to not be able to get there. Lance felt like he couldn’t move if he wanted to. Nothing but heat filling up his mind, fogging it.

Lance could barely comprehend the sound of shouting, or the buzzards that were circling overhead. He wanted to let go. It would be so easy to just let go. Give into the desert sand below him and be settled into an eternal sleep. It would be so much easier than trying to hold onto that last thread.

What was that last thread, anyway? A flash of dark hair and a bright smile. Someone.

“I’m sorry…”

Lance closed his eyes and let the darkness seep in, but that didn’t last nearly long enough. He heard voices, and he latched onto those. Alteans? Out here?

“Hunk, look!”

“Is that a royal?”

“Nah, the white hair’s probably dye. But… he’s not older than us. What’s he doing out here?”

“He looks almost dead. No wonder the buzzards were gathering around him.”

“Well, come on! Let’s get him up.”

Lance let them help him. He didn’t do anything to make it easier- he still couldn’t move- but for the first time in what felt like years, but was probably only a few days, there were other people, and they wanted to help him. Lance needed support. Craved Alteans. Craved anything familiar.

He finally felt life return to his body when water dripped over his face, flowing carefully into his mouth. Lance swallowed it, finally being able to swallow, and weakly opened his eyes.

“Buddy, you’re awake!” one of the strangers cried. He was big, heavy-set, but he had a look of impossible kindness on his face.

“Took you long enough,” the other stranger said. Lance wasn’t sure of anything gender-wise, but they had glasses on, and they were short. Through the slowly-fading cloud in his brain, Lance wondered how they got the glasses.

Lance coughed and sat up. He immediately regretted it, but the big guy leaned him against a rock.

“Where…?”

“You okay?” the short one asked.

“I guess.” Lance’s voice was hoarse and dull. It used to be so bright and filled with energy. Now, though? It was… weak. Tired.

“You almost died, man,” the bigger one said, eyes wide. He kind of reminded Lance of Coran, in a way. “Do you need something to eat, or…?”

“I’d love to, but I need to go,” Lance said, struggling to get up again. “Thanks, but you’d regret it if you knew.”

The two exchanged glances, then they sighed in unison.

“I’m Pidge, and this is Hunk,” the short one said. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you, but you need to rest.”

“Put your past behind you,” Hunk offered, a small smile on his face. “It helps. Trust me.”

“It’s harder to do that than you’d think,” Lance muttered.

“Just listen to this- let go of your worries. It’s better to live out of reality than wallow on what you can’t change,” Pidge said, rolling their eyes. “We’ve both gone through it, and I think it’s your turn.”

“I… guess,” Lance said. “But that’s not what I learned. I can’t just give up on it like that.”

“Listen,” Hunk said. “We know what you’re dealing with.”

“I doubt it.” Lance was  _ fairly sure _ that these two strangers didn’t kill their parents then abandon their kingdom when they were needed most.

“Take Hunk,” Pidge offered, gesturing to the man. “He’s so perfect, so nice, right? Look at that innocent smile. But people didn’t like him, because he looks  _ so big and scary _ . But on top of that, he’s just a softie! Throws up at the slightest thing.”

“Aw, Pidge,” Hunk mumbled.

“He learned to let that go,” Pidge lectured, “Just like you can. Just like you  _ should _ .”

“It’ll be great if you just let it go,” Hunk said. “Whatever it is that’s eating you. Just forget about it, because you gotta live in the moment.”

“Damn, philosophical Hunk,” Pidge whispered to Lance.

Lance had to admit, a smile was growing on his face. There was a certain appeal to these two that really convinced him. It  _ would _ be better if he learned to not let what had just happened tear away at him. Yeah, something terrible had just happened, but… Lance needed to heal. He needed something new.

“You’re right,” he said. “I guess it’s okay to put things behind you sometimes.”

“That’s the spirit,” Pidge said, grinning. They punched his shoulder, and he staggered away.

“What are you, made of metal?"

“Secret.” Pidge mimed zipping up their lips.

Maybe this would be okay.

…

It had been six years of this.

Six years of torture.

Keith winced as he dragged himself through the hallway, away from Lotor. He just needed to eat something. He was so tired of all of this. Everything  _ hurt _ , and it was all wrong. It should have been someone else alongside him.

It should have been Lance.

Keith shook his head furiously. No.  _ Not Lance _ . If he even showed a sign of thinking about Lance, punishment.

Talking about the past. Punishment.

Fantasizing about what could have been. Punishment.

Sometimes, Keith could delude himself into thinking that it wasn’t Lotor who did this.

_ Keith loves Lance. _

_ Keith loves his lover, Lance. _

_ Keith loves the fact that Lance never hurts him. _

_ Keith loves the fact that he’s happy. _

_ Keith loves the fact that he’s never forced to do something he doesn’t want. _

_ Keith loves the fact that he can be free not just in his mind, but in everything he does. _

_ Keith loves his lover. _

_ Keith loves Lance- _

And then it shatters, because Lance is gone. Lance died six years ago. He’d never come back, because he couldn’t. Because he was dead.

It doesn’t matter what Keith wants, because it’s Lotor who became obsessed with him, even back then. It was Lotor that “ever-so-kindly” took him in after the blacksmith mysteriously died. It was Lotor that forced Keith into false love, into a false relationship.

It was Lotor that took away what Keith really wanted.

He really wanted to be happy.

But Keith would never get that, would he? Because he had tried so hard not to look like he was just using Lance for just a few moments of freedom, by not ever letting the royal family pay up that debt that he owed for existing. Now he was stuck with Lance’s stupid adopted brother, who wouldn’t let Keith go until one of them died.

Keith tugged at the collar on his neck. He had worn collars when he was little, because the blacksmith hadn’t trusted him not to do something… Galra-like. But when he got older, it turned into just those chains wrapped heavily on his ankles. But it all came back with Lotor, who apparently had no idea that Keith was just as much a person as him, if not more. Keith didn’t know if it was a Galra thing or not, but he felt like Lotor had an unhealthy obsession with him.

No, that was a lie. Keith knew Lotor was obsessed with him. He wouldn’t deny it.

He really, really wanted to leave. What could he do to convince Lotor to let him out? It only had to be for a day- he just needed to talk to someone that wasn’t Lotor- because Lotor let no one talk to Keith. Keith was sick of feeling like he was worth nothing. He just needed some idea of what freedom felt like, not that Keith had ever really felt it. Since the beginning, he was below them all.

At some point, Keith had become even less than a half-breed. Because he was below Lotor, who had dragged all of the half-Galra, half-Altean people up from the bottom, making them worth something. That would have been a good thing, but Keith had remained below, just looking up at them all.

Because Keith belonged to Lotor.

Lion Goddess, he hated it so, so much.

“Kitten!”

Keith whirled around and widened his eyes at seeing Lotor across the hall. He hung his head, sighing. It might be his only chance to convince Lotor to let him go for a while. Keith let Lotor do whatever he wanted- mess with his hair, which had gotten a lot longer, scratch behind his ears, press soft yet possessive kisses against his skin. Whatever Lotor wanted. The king wouldn’t put on a show here. Not right now.

“L-Lotor?”

For some reason, Lotor let Keith call him by his real name. It was strange. Maybe he wanted to imagine that this was real. Not that Lotor ever returned the favor. In anything they did.

“Yes, kitten? You look worried, what’s wrong?”

Keith tried his best to look pleading. Pressed his knees together, despite his legs being spread apart. Gently press a hand to Lotor’s chest. Wide, sparkling eyes. “I was wondering…”

“Hmm?”

“Could I go out in the village? Just for a little bit?” Keith let the words burst out quickly. Once they were out, they could never be taken back.

Lotor had an almost unnoticeable frown for a moment, then he smiled brightly. “Of course! Where do you want us to go?”

“Can it just be… just me? Without you?” That came out just as bad as it sounded in Keith’s head. This wouldn’t go over well.

Surprisingly, Lotor nodded. “I suppose if we’re going to be married soon, you’ll want to know your people, kitten…”

“Really?” Keith paused, surprised, then added. “Thank you, Lotor!”

“You’ll have to make it up to me, though,” Lotor warned. “I have another unfortunate opportunity to listen to the people’s complaints. You’d make it so much better…”

Keith nodded, a small smile across his face. This was even better than he had expected. Was Lotor finally giving him… freedom?

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the bois will meet soon... <3


	4. Sometimes, They Align

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the moment you've waited for

“Mmm… Kitten, this is so boring, don’t you think?” Lotor asked, stroking Keith’s furry ear absentmindedly.

Keith gave a halfhearted shrug. Lotor didn’t look down, anyway. He never looked down. Lotor always ended up staring straight ahead, not at Keith, and definitely not down at the people talking nonstop about their problems.

He actually found listening to those problems interesting, because he hadn’t been out of the palace in ages. It was Keith’s only source of news. Unlike Lotor, Keith didn’t see this people as petty and annoying. Rather, they were the only people strong enough to stand up. They were better than Keith when it came to that.

People were better than Keith in a lot of ways.

“Perhaps I should let you go out into the village for a while after this,” Lotor said, his tone thoughtful, though Keith could tell that there was something else in his eyes. That flash of some unknown emotion that Keith knew meant  _ danger _ . “Would you like that?”

Keith nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral. Lotor would hate it if he showed too much enthusiasm towards this idea, and Keith  _ really needed to get out _ . There were so many other things he could do- talk about how he really felt, the people in the kingdom… tell Lotor no. Keith wanted to tell Lotor no almost as much as he needed to escape the castle. He understood why Lance had felt trapped in here, even as a child.

No, he needed to stop thinking about Lance- if he thought about Lance, Lotor would know. He always knew.

“Alright, kitten, after this. I promise.” Lotor pulled Keith up into his lap with a false smile, still not quite looking at him. Because even though Lotor was obsessed with Keith, Keith was still worth nothing.

…

Those meetings with citizens had never lasted for so long. With that strange look in his eyes, Lotor let Keith go.

Keith knew he still didn’t look normal. Between the collar, the groomed appearance, and the clothing that bordered on provocative, he probably looked like a well-payed prostitute. At least the fact that he was Galra wasn’t so much of an issue.

The reason why, though, was another problem. Lotor had merged the two kingdoms together in a fusion-Altea. It was different, sometimes nice, since people stopped looking twice after a while, but the thing was, having the Galra was bad for Altea. They had no respect for the land or its people, corrupting earth with poisons and corrupting minds with toxic ideas.

The Alteans were scared of the Galra, and rightfully so. They had a right to be scared of Keith. It looked like all of the fears that the people had had back when Shiro and Allura took in Lotor, and later when Keith’s mother escaped to Altea with him were well-founded, and ended up being reality. A reality none of them had expected so soon. Lotor had been only twenty. They thought they had at least five more years, until when Lance could take the throne.

Unfortunately, no. That didn’t happen.

Keith found a cloak in a distant corner of the palace, and pulled up the hood. He walked out into the world for the first time in years. It was different, as always, yet similar to how Keith remembered it being. At least the bridge to the castle had remained the same. It would have ruined Keith’s childhood to have destroyed that.

Not that his childhood was worth much. The only thing that redeemed it was Lance.

Lance, Lance, Lance.

Keith shivered and crossed his arms. It felt like Lotor was watching, that he’d jump out. It was unlikely that Keith would be able to escape- that was probably why Lotor had let him out in the first place. Lotor hadn’t let Keith go anywhere since he miraculously “saved” Keith from indentured servitude. It was doubtful that he’d ever get that freedom back for longer than a few hours.

He walked silently through the town, trying to be as invisible as possible. The glares and looks that Keith always received were kept at a minimum, less than he had ever gotten. It was almost eerie, the way people walked with dead expressions and tired eyes, barely sparing a glance for him, who looked so obviously out of place. It was the slight bounce in his step that separated him, not his clothing or species.

Because Keith still had something to hope for. These people had already given up.

Suddenly, Keith understood why people always showed up at the castle, begging for an audience with the king. The king and his glorified pet.

“Pardon me, young man?” A woman’s voice shook him out of his thoughts. It sounded familiar, but not enough for Keith to recognize it.

Keith turned and saw a woman with graying hair and a small smile. She stood in front of a shop filled with gemstones. Sparkling, despite the sun being hidden by clouds.

“I think I have something you need,” she said, that peculiar small smile barely moving. “Come with me.”

Glad for a distraction from the obvious, Keith followed the woman in, where she ducked behind a counter for a moment before handing him something strange. Something… knife shaped? He freed the knife from its sheath, and he stared at it in awe. It was dark, almost purple.

“Made of luxite,” the woman told him. “Do you know the properties of luxite?”

Keith shook his head.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Keith suddenly realized that he had no money. “I’m sorry, I can’t… I can’t take this.”

“You don’t need to pay,” she said. “Go on- you’ll need it for what you’re going to do.”

And… what exactly was it that Keith was going to do? He could really use someone telling him what he was going to do, because he was clueless. Just go back to the castle, living the same life he had been for years? The same life he’d continue having for the rest of his life?

Or…

Something sparked inside Keith. A spark of revolution against everything. He would find help, and he would free himself, because it was clear by now that nobody else was going to do it.

“Thank you,” he said quickly to the woman, who only kept smiling. He turned away and ran down the streets, searching for something that would get him away from the village.

Something that would carry him through this new revolution.

…

“Have you guys ever wondered what the stars are made out of?”

Lance’s eyes widened slightly. He turned on his side to look over at Hunk, who had asked the question. The trio was lying in the soft grass not far from the rainforest, on the opposite side from the desert.

Why had Hunk asked that?

Did he know?

After six years of growing up into…  _ almost _ an adult, Lance still held a stupid fear that Pidge and Hunk knew his secret. They would have said something by now, right? If they suspected it? But they had never asked about his hair or the circlet he used to wear almost obsessively for a year before giving it up. They weren’t much older than him, so surely Pidge and Hunk knew that those things belonged only to the royal family?

“I don’t wonder, I know,” Pidge said, snorting. “It’s something burning thousands of miles away.”

“Oh.” Hunk sighed. “I always thought it was light that was meant to give us hope.”

“You’re so philosophical these days,” Pidge teased, kicking Hunk. The man yelped.

“Pidge!”

“What about you, Lance? You’ve been quiet tonight.”

Yeah, he was quiet, because they had started talking about the last important thing he had talked about with his father before Lance had killed Shiro. And Allura.

Lotor probably made everything better. Everyone probably loved him. Nobody cared about Lance.

Lance, who was so stupid that he had accidentally killed his parents.

“You guys probably don’t want to hear it,” he said. “It’s… it’s not…”

“Aw, c’mon!”

“You can tell us, buddy.”

Lance let out a breath. “Fine. Someone once told me that… the great kings and queens of the past are up there. Watching us.”

Like his mother and father, who had been wonderful people that hadn’t deserved to die. Two great rulers who never should have died for their incompetent son, who ran away instead of admitting it.

“So… a bunch of dead people are watching us?” Pidge asked dubiously, before bursting out laughing. “That’s… so… stupid,” they said between spurts of laughter.

“I don’t know who told you that, Lance, but that’s pretty crazy,” Hunk said, laughing along.

“Yeah…” Lance agreed, laughing halfheartedly.

_ It is pretty stupid. _

_ You should have been better than this _ .

Why did his inner voice sound like a combination of Shiro, Allura, Keith, and Lotor?

Lance sighed and stood up, walking over to the cliffside. He closed his eyes and flopped down on the flowers, sending the petals swirling through the air.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

…

Hunk had seriously not meant to be hunted down by an angry Galra boy that day.

He and Pidge had just been walking down the path the way they do every day. Pidge, being Pidge, started singing some song that Hunk didn’t understand, but knew the background lyrics to. So he mumbled those along while Pidge’s half-decent singing voice took over everything else.

But… then Hunk had gotten distracted by a shiny blue beetle. It looked really interesting, okay? He had no idea that a Galra would be attached to it.

But of course, when Hunk started veering off-path, all for that beetle, he got separated from Pidge and ended up going to the side of the rainforest that met the edge of the desert. He was almost  _ gone _ , and he wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. Still humming the background vocals, Hunk had crept up to the blue beetle, and almost got it!

But then something had barrelled into him, and Hunk opened his eyes to see a boy standing above him, eyes narrowed, a knife leveled at Hunk’s throat.

Oh, and this boy was also  _ Galra _ .

“Oh Lion Goddess!” Hunk squeaked, and apparently, this didn’t amuse the boy.

“What are you doing so far from Altea’s borders?” the boy asked carefully.

Hunk wasn’t sure why he needed to know that. This guy obviously wasn’t part of the royal guard or anything, especially with the soft appearance and clothes. Did he have trust issues, or something?

“Get away from him!” someone shrieked, and Hunk cowered as Lance ran into the boy. The fight looked almost vicious for a moment- Lance punched the stranger’s nose, where it gave a sharp crack and started bleeding, while the other guy bit Lance’s hand.

“Lion Goddess! Oh Lion Goddess,” Hunk whispered, his hand over his mouth.

Then Lance had the Galra pinned down, and he saw the moment where they recognized each other. It was in that long moment of silence and still when neither of them were trying to kill each other.

“Keith…?” Lance whispered.

“Lance?”

…

Keith broke.

He was really hallucinating now.

Lance?

Alive?

Through wide eyes, he stared up at Lance, shock and fear coursing through his veins, but he stayed perfectly still. Keith didn’t know what to do. This was fake. It was Lotor trying to trick him, or…

Or something…

Not Lance. Not Lance. Right?

Because Lance was dead.

…

Lance gasped at seeing Keith’s face. How had he not seen it before? What other Galra would just show up in the rainforest?

But… was it really his Keith? His Keith, of quiet smiles and laughter and fourteen years spent together?

If it was Keith, then he was probably appalled. He probably knew what Lance had done. He probably knew that Lance had killed Shiro and Allura, then run away from his crimes. Keith had probably gotten with Lotor and ranted about how he couldn’t believe he had ever liked a murderer.

“Keith…?”

“Lance?”

It was real. It was Keith. He knew what Lance had done.

“I… I can’t believe it!” Lance cried, and immediately regretted it once the words were out of his mouth. Was that too happy? Too bright to just have made Keith’s nose bleed?

“I… neither can I…” Keith breathed, his eyes blown wide.

Lance rolled off Keith. “I just…”

“I thought you were dead!” Keith exclaimed, finally breaking out of his confusion. “It’s been six years, and you just left me there, with that bastard Lotor, and a complete wreck of an Altea, and now… Now… Goddess, Lance. Why?”

“What do you mean, why? You don’t… don’t know?” Lance asked, shocked. Why hadn’t his brother told everyone that Lance had murdered Shiro and Allura? It was so strange.

Then again, Lotor never did anything without a plan.

“Know what?” Keith hissed.

“Nothing, nothing, it’s just…” Lance sighed. “I thought you would hate me.”

“No, Lance! You… you don’t deserve it. Yeah, you were stupid and you just left me, but… Goddess, I don’t know, okay?” Keith let it all explode. “You’re the only reason I’m even here, the thought of you is the only reason why I didn’t just kill myself already. But…” He let out a breath.

“I’m sorry,” Lance said, his eyes meeting Keith’s violet-gold. “I mean it. For everything. I’ll explain later, promise.”

Keith’s eyes seemed to search his, but then Keith relaxed. “I… okay.”

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO! If you want to know where I got the Keitor thing from, watch this. Seriously. It was this and the fact that 80's Lotor was obsessed with Allura and all that junk.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGEz1zDGgY  
> THIS IS ALMOST OVER THOUGH WOW
> 
> expect daily updates like this has been


	5. Don't Forget, Though

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 100% platonic cuddling for support after trauma with the guy you like

Lance led Keith to the top of a waterfall. Water, tinted an almost purple color as the sun went down, flowed down into a quiet lake. For a while, Lance had been scared of it- even though it was so much smaller, it triggered memories of the death of his parents. Eventually, though, that phobia went away, and now he loved it. It reminded him of the beautiful water back in Altea.

Now, as he brought Keith here, Lance was reminded of all the time they had spent together growing up- but also, what had changed. Keith was obviously different, and his words from before had hinted at something bad, but then again, so was Lance. Lance, who had run away, killed his family, and lived in a rainforest with two strange Alteans for six years while he matured.

He didn’t want to think about his own problems, so he thought about Keith. Lance studied the man who used to be his best friend- he had become so different, yet recognizable, in the way that his attitude clearly hadn’t changed. Still easy to get angry. But when it came to appearance? Why did he let his hair get so long, and what was up with the fancy black and white choker? Not to mention the fact that Keith was wearing some sort of cloak over his clothes, and Lance really wanted to know what was under there.

Wait. No-

Lance shook his head, trying to rid it of dirty thoughts. This was  _ Keith _ , who had been his best friend for nine years, who decided to trust him even after having been abandoned by Lance. Even after whatever had happened when Lance left him.

They had both been silent the entire walk here, but when Lance sat down at the cliff’s edge, and Keith joined him, the half-Galra spoke.

“So… what have you been doing all this time?” Keith’s voice was cautious, like he didn’t want to upset Lance in any way. That was new. Had Keith finally learned some tact?

“Well…” Lance decided to avoid the topic of  _ why _ altogether. “Pidge and Hunk found me on the edge of the rainforest, on the desert side, where you probably showed up.” He glanced at Keith, who nodded. “They showed me what it meant to live life like you’re free, instead of feeling trapped in who you used to be.”

Keith’s eyes narrowed slightly. Nobody else would have been able to recognize it, it was so subtle. But Lance noticed. Lance noticed because he was Lance and that was Keith. Lance knew Keith best and Keith knew Lance best.

At least… that used to be true. Lance didn’t know anymore. He hadn’t known for six years.

“That’s… nice, I guess,” Keith offered, though there was an edge to his voice that Lance didn’t understand. What had Lance said that bothered him so much? “I, um… I didn’t do much.”

Lance really wanted to know Keith’s side of the story, but he didn’t want to push it, not so soon after finding each other again. Did Keith actually hate him? Did all of Altea hate him? Lance didn’t  _ know _ , and it was painful not to know.

Keith didn’t know, though, so they would both suffer through the pain of not knowing until one of them broke. Lance didn’t know why he just admitted it, it would have been so easy,  _ I killed my parents _ , but he couldn’t do it. He had never said it out loud, just in his head. And he had definitely never said it to anyone as important to him as Keith.

Keith was the only person Lance had left.

“Well, um…” Lance sighed. “Why is it so hard to talk to you now? It’s like we’re strangers, but we’re not.”

“We might as well be,” Keith mumbled. “You’re just so… different. The same, on a basic level, but… more complicated, I guess?”

Lance took a moment to study Keith. The sunset gave a fiery outline to his figure, almost like an eclipse. It wasn’t new to see his friend in that way, but…

He let out a sigh. Why couldn’t they just fix this?

“Yeah, I guess we are,” Lance said, frowning. Keith looked over at him and scanned his face for a second before leaning into Lance’s side.

Keith’s touch felt like magic. The warmth of Keith against him was like sparks, and Lance smiled a real smile, and it felt relaxed. It felt right. Lance reached out carefully for Keith’s hand resting on the ground in front of them.

All of the tightness in Keith’s posture was gone, and Lance saw him smiling that soft smile that made his heart melt.

No matter what happened, they would still keep on being Lance and Keith. Whatever being Lance and Keith meant now.

…

“This sucks,” Pidge muttered. They adjusted their glasses and kicked at the ground. “Look at them, Hunk!”

“I think it’s kind of cute,” Hunk offered. “Look, Lance actually looks happy for once! And that other guy, Keith, is smiling, too.”

“Yeah, I know,” Pidge sighed. “But Hunk, do you know what this means?”

“They’ve acknowledged their love for each other and now they’re drawing comfort from each other through cuddling?”

“No, idiot.” Pidge punched his side, and even Hunk staggered. None of them would ever figure out why Pidge was so strong. “If they really do fall in love, our trio’s down to two.”

“Oh.  _ Ohh _ ,” Hunk realized. “I get it.”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “I guess… do we help them or totally get in their way?”

“I get the feeling that if we try to get in their way, it’ll end up being beautiful,” Hunk said wisely. He shrugged. “So let’s just try to do whatever we can?”

“Let’s see what happens.”

…

Keith was really trying to keep it together. Everything was just… so crazy. Why was Lance out here? Why didn’t he come back? Keith wanted to ask, but Lance hadn’t even had any secrets to spill when they were younger. He didn’t know how Lance would react. As for Keith’s problems, he didn’t want Lance to think he was…

_ Just Lotor’s bitch. _

Keith closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. Being with Lance felt so different from being with Lotor. Maybe it was the fact that he actually liked Lance, or maybe it was that Lance seemed to care about Keith beyond a blind obsession with no consideration for how Keith felt. Not that it mattered. Nobody cared how Keith felt, nor did he let it affect anything other than the feeling. He would probably do this for anyone, no matter what he thought of them.

Because when it’s between false love and a threat left unsaid, Keith will always choose the option that keeps him alive. It kept him alive long before Lotor, and it would continue. But this time, Keith actually  _ wanted _ to be with Lance. Back when they were younger, Keith had always held the possibility of liking Lance close, and it became more real as they got older, especially that day at the Galra graveyard.

After everything Keith had gone through, though? He just wanted to care about someone as much as they cared about him.

That was why Keith let himself lean on Lance. That was why Keith let Lance take his hand. That was why Keith let his legs become slightly tangled in Lance’s.

“If I tell you what happened to me, will you tell me what happened to you?” Lance asked, ruining the silence, though Keith didn’t really mind. “But… if you don’t want to, you don’t have to…”

Keith looked up at him in surprise. “If… if you’re sure.” His ear flicked in Lance’s face, and Lance blinked rapidly. Keith smiled at that. “So… I guess I’ll go first. But- but don’t judge me badly or anything for this. Please.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”

Keith let out a breath. “Okay. I guess… when you vanished, everyone thought you died? Apparently, you killed your parents on purpose with the dam breaking, and then Lotor found out and drove you away into the badlands.”

“Oh,” Lance mumbled, and Keith could tell that his voice was practically dripping guilt. Keith wondered how true that story was.

“So afterwards, things were terrible. Lotor joined the Galra, and now our kingdoms are combined.”

“What?” Lance exclaimed. “That’s- that’s- it’s so wrong. No offense. But they’re Altea’s mortal enemies!”

“Not anymore, not since their prince became our king.”

“Yeah…” Lance ran a hand through his white hair. “It’s just crazy. Continue.”

“Things were as normal as they could be after your entire royal family dies. I was… lost, I guess? I didn’t have a reason anymore. I lived so that I could be with  _ you _ , spend time with  _ you _ , because you were the only good part of my life. Without that, I didn’t have anything.”

Lance was quiet after this confession.

Keith frowned softly, wondering what was going through the prince’s head, as he continued. “It was… okay, I guess. Then the blacksmith died under ‘unknown circumstances’, and Lotor took it upon himself to kindly pay my debts and successfully sell my soul to him. I don’t know what exactly I was supposed to be doing, but he got a kick out of me in a Galra servant’s clothing.”

Lance’s face twisted like he had eaten something sour.

“But… you probably remember Lotor’s weird obsession. It just got worse and worse, and instead of me just being in the room, he wanted  _ me _ . And I had no way to just say no. So… I just obeyed him. ‘Do this, do that, let me take care of you, don’t you enjoy this, you’re mine, kitten.’”

The exiled prince looked extremely unhappy. He brought the hand up that wasn’t clasped in Keith’s to the half-Galra’s shoulder, where he rubbed softly. “I can’t believe he’d do that. I just… that’s really terrible, Keith. Seriously. I’m sorry that I… that I left you for that.”

“You’d be killed if you came back,” Keith said softly. “But… yeah. That’s pretty much it. Officially, I’m the royal concubine, but that’s just a nice way to say that I’m his bitch.” His voice grew bitter at the end. “I got sick of it, and convinced Lotor to let me out of the castle for a while by myself, and I left after a woman gave me a knife.”

“A knife?” Lance asked curiously. “Can I see it?”

“After you tell me your story.”

That was fair, right? He didn’t sound too rude or accusatory?

“Alright,” Lance said. “How did you get away? Like, didn’t Lotor follow you?”

“I guess he didn’t,” Keith said, shrugging. He shifted a bit closer to Lance. It had gotten colder, and Keith wasn’t quite sure why he was tangled up with his childhood friend like this, but it didn’t feel… bad. It was nice?

Lance frowned, but nodded. “Okay. I guess… I guess it’s my turn.”

Keith looked into Lance’s blue eyes. Once, they had shined like water under moonlight. Now, they were dulled slightly, more like a blue blanket or… something less vibrant. He definitely noticed how unhappy Lance looked, and how much thinner he was than how he used to be. The trademark white hair of the royal family wasn’t much longer than it had been when they were younger, so he had probably cut it, although it had a few braids sticking out. Keith distantly wondered if he had done them himself as he listened to Lance begin to talk.

“So… that day. Lotor told me he had a surprise for me, so I stayed in the riverbed for a while before water just came rushing at me,” Lance began, his voice low.

“So you didn’t break the dam?” Keith asked, mind going in circles as he tried to figure it all out.

“Yeah, I..,” Lance sighed. “This is hard. But no, I swear it was an accident.”

Keith nodded as Lance continued.

“I was so scared that I could barely think, but then my dad shows up. He gets me to safety, but my mom fell at some point and died from the jump, and my dad couldn’t hold on for long enough. So they both died.” Lance took a deep breath. “When I woke up. I went over to their bodies and cried myself to sleep. The next time, Lotor was there. He told me to run, So I did.”

Keith silently rested his free hand on Lance’s cheek. The Altean seemed to curl in on himself, but never left Keith. Not even after Keith admitted he’d belonged to Lance’s brother for years. And Keith didn’t leave Lance for telling his side of the events.

Something wasn’t right here, and Keith would figure it out.

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or did Lance sound kind of cult-y there for a minute??
> 
> this is later than normal because procrastination but yeah


	6. They Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> can you feel the love tonight?  
> remember.

“Guess we should figure the rest of this out in the morning, right?” Lance suggested, although it came out so much more awkward than it had sounded in his head. “You’re probably tired.”

It was dark now. The stars were out, and Keith’s gaze seemed to be fixed on the stars. That made Lance uneasy. He had always loved looking at them, but… it was bittersweet. And seeing Keith do it? It was all the more painful.

“Yeah, I guess,” Keith said softly. His violet eyes turned to meet Lance’s, and he had to refrain from sucking in a breath. Why was Keith so… 

Why did Lance not have words for it?

Keith just seemed so… ethereal, almost. He was like those stars in the sky. Good memories, of when they had just  _ lived _ , enjoyed what life gave them, but also the bad, of what had happened over the years, of Lotor and Shiro and Allura. Of unhappiness and chains. Of secrets and confusion.

The smaller boy lifted his head off of Lance’s shoulder and got up, though he stumbled. Lance realized that they had been sitting on the ledge for a while, just talking and looking out and being  _ together _ , the way they hadn’t been in years. Almost in a way they had never been- because there was something new in every word they both spoke, in each movement they both made.

Lance was flooded with the sudden urge to kiss Keith. For real, not on the cheek like Keith had once done. But after hearing what Lotor had done to his former best friend, he doubted that Keith would appreciate it. Instead, he just stood up, trying not to fall. His legs really did feel like they would collapse under him at any moment.

“Come on, Pidge and Hunk are probably asleep already.”

Keith nodded, and Lance led the way to their shack. It wasn’t that bad- it wasn’t run-down or anything. It was just small, and, well… it was Lance’s. It was kind of a mess. Pidge and Hunk had their own separate huts, and had had them since Lance had arrived. They had helped Lance build his, and it might have gone down a little bit.

Lance was glad for the darkness, so Keith couldn’t see how absolutely wrecked everything was. He led Keith to his bed, and Lance felt heat creeping towards his face as he realized what this might seem like to Keith. That was probably what he thought- after all, hadn’t he just spent six years with Lo-

Okay, time to stop that train of thought.

Luckily, Keith just collapsed into the bed, cloak and all. He still hadn’t taken it off yet. Lance just sighed, kicked off his boots, and flopped down next to him. Lance wanted to talk a bit more, but they were both exhausted, and had a lot to think about.  _ Lance _ , for one, wasn’t sure how he felt yet. Everything was different, so different, as he had already thought what had felt like a million times that day.

But even with all of those thoughts flooding his head, Lance closed his eyes and managed to fall asleep almost immediately.

It was a good different.

…

“Pidge?”

They looked up to see Hunk standing at their door. Pidge frowned and closed their book. “What’s up?”

“It’s Lance,” Hunk said. “I know, it’s late and all, but… I can’t get these thoughts out of my head. Lance is friends, maybe more, with some Galra, and there’s obviously some sort of history behind it all, but we couldn’t hear any of it.” He shook his head.

“Yeah,” Pidge sighed. “You know, Lance’s white hair? That only the royal family has?”

“You don’t think it’s dyed anymore, do you?” Hunk asked, a skeptical look crossing his face.

“No, I’m almost positive it’s real,” Pidge said. “I don’t remember much about politics or royalty or anything, since we were both so young when we… left… but I kind of remember my parents… whispering about the prince and a Galra halfbreed?”

“Is Keith a halfbreed?” Hunk burst out, surprised, then deflated under Pidge’s “well, duh” look. “If Lance is the prince, don’t you think someone would have looked for him before now?”

“Not if something bad is happening back in Altea,” Pidge argued, a dark look crossing their face. “My mom…”

Hunk had to know how hard it was for them to talk about their family, so he kept quiet at Pidge’s nervousness. He knew that their father and brother had vanished one day, and that was why Pidge had ran away. Hunk had left because, like he had said to Lance years ago, people were afraid of him when he really just wanted friends.

But Lance?

That was the mystery that he had a feeling they would soon figure out.

“Go to sleep, Hunk,” Pidge said softly. They slumped down slightly. “I swear I’ll go to bed soon.”

“Well, if you’re sure…”

Pidge walked Hunk walked away. He was obviously reluctant, but Pidge just needed to… figure this out. They were good at this.

Right.

Good.

Pidge let out a long breath.

…

The next morning, Lance woke up to Keith curled over him, and he just smiled and closed his eyes again.

…

Later, when Keith woke up, Lance was still awake. Despite trying to fall asleep, his mind had been racing the way that it had the night before, and he didn’t have exhaustion on his side anymore.

“Morning…” Keith mumbled, blinking slowly. He glanced around for a moment before returning his gaze to Lance, and he nodded for a reason that Lance didn’t understand.

“Alright, you’ve been asleep forever,” Lance said. “I’m starving, let’s go!”

“Nevermind, maybe you didn’t change,” Keith said, rolling his eyes. “I feel like you’ve said that to me before.”

“Probably did.” Lance grinned brightly, while Keith scowled slightly. The smaller boy rolled off of Lance and stood up carefully. Lance did the same, stretching elegantly. “You’re kind of heavy, by the way.”

Keith didn’t deem that worthy of a real reply, only punching Lance in the shoulder half-heartedly.

The two quietly slipped outside, where Pidge and Hunk were sitting around an ancient-looking table. Lance still didn’t understand why they didn’t just build a new one, or just  _ put it inside _ ? He didn’t get why they had no problems eating off of a soggy table.

Pidge claimed that it was because he still hadn’t let go of some part of his life.

They were right, of course. Lance hadn’t given up his past, no matter how much he wanted to. He could never let go of those words.  _ Run. Run away, Lance. Run away far, where nobody can ever, ever find you. Where you can’t hurt us anymore. _ They had never gone away, no matter how much he wanted them to. Plus, with Keith’s arrival, he knew he would have to make a decision soon, even though he would much rather take Keith in and grow old together, live long, happy lives, in love without a care in the world…

Wait, where had that come from?

Lance snuck a glance at Keith beside him, who was eating like he hadn’t eaten in a million years, the way he always had. Except, now he was wondering if that wasn’t far from the truth. Yes, he would have to face his past. Whatever scars Keith had would never go away, even if they stayed together, here in the rainforest.

Lance’s scars wouldn’t go away, either.

_ His mother and father’s dead bodies. _

_ Lotor telling him to go. _

“Lance?”

He shook off his memories to find the other three all watching him, each with varying expressions of what could only be described as “calculating”. Keith’s eyes were narrowed, while Pidge had their “thinking” look on, and Hunk was torn between concerned and analytical.

Breakfast was silent. The other three were thinking, while Lance was watching them, slightly concerned for his well-being. What were they thinking? What was going on inside their heads? Lance wasn’t dull or anything, he had been doing fine in his studies when he was younger, and Pidge and Hunk were geniuses, so he was doing just fine when it came to his smarts. But he had never had the sort of deep-thinking that Keith had, or the weird, outside-of-the-box approaches of Pidge and Hunk. So he just wanted to know what they thought of him.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Lance wanted to talk more to Keith, but Pidge and Hunk were very insistent on questioning him about how Altea was. Lunch and dinner passed, and the two other Alteans finally let Keith and Lance go. The moon was giving off its soft glow, and stars were painted across the sky. Lance smiled slightly as he and Keith wandered down to the river.

“I bet you haven’t been swimming since we went together,” Lance said, playfully splashing water onto Keith. The half-Galra jolted upwards as the water hit him, and he shook it off.

“I, uh… kind of forgot how to?” Keith admitted, his ears flattening. His expression clearly said, “don’t you dare fuck with me”. Of course, that only encouraged the prince.

“Oh, really?” His tone was light and airy, such a perfect example of innocence, as he pushed Keith in.

“Lance!” Keith objected, frantically splashing around. Lance just grinned at him, knowing very well that the water there wasn’t deep at all, probably shallower than Keith’s height.

When Keith realized this, he glared and grabbed for Lance’s arm. He had a victorious smile on his face as he pulled Lance in with him.

“Hey!  _ Keith! _ ” Lance exclaimed. “Great, now my clothes are going to be soaked!”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Well, consider it revenge for doing it to me.”

“Alright, true, I  _ did _ push you in,” Lance conceded. “Guess you’re just sma-”

Keith dunked Lance’s head underwater, and Lance didn’t finish the word.

“Rude!”

They both dragged themselves back onto shore and started walking. Keith’s eyes sparkled, and Lance hoped Keith saw the same thing in him. This felt almost… romantic. Were they unintentionally flirting with each other? Because Lance would not be opposed to a relationship with Keith. Even if there were complications.

Lance was so busy looking at Keith’s eyes that he tripped over a root, and tumbled down the hill they were walking over, taking Keith with him. Lance heard himself let out a squeak of surprise, and Keith let out a yelp. They weren’t animals, were they? Because Lance didn’t know how else to describe those noises other than through those words. Was that bad?

He found that he really didn’t care, at this point- because they had finally stopped at the bottom of the hill, and he was lying on top of Keith.

“Pinned ya,” Lance said, smiling fondly at the memory.

“Really?” Keith asked, a devilish smile that he had  _ no right _ to play with Lance’s heart with on his face. His voice was dangerously breathy and it  _ did things _ to Lance.

Lance swallowed, sure that his face was red. “I’m pretty sure that I’m the one on top here…”

Keith laughed a little, then, with a sudden shyness, stretched up and kissed Lance on the lips. It was short, basically a peck, but it felt amazing.

“Woah,” Lance said, bringing his hand up to touch his lips.

“Was- was that-?” Keith stammered, worry evident in his eyes.

“No, that was great.” Lance smiled brightly and leaned down, while Keith pulled himself back up, so their lips met halfway.

The kiss was gentle, at first. Just the press of their lips as they slotted together, Keith’s arms reaching to wrap around Lance’s neck, while one of Lance’s hands had a hold on Keith’s back, the other planted on the ground, stabilizing them. But it got more intense as Keith bit at Lance’s lip, and…

Lance was in heaven. His lips parted, and so did Keith’s, and it was just… bliss. Happiness.

Eventually, they broke apart, and Lance got off of Keith. They lay there, looking up at the stars.

“Do you know what my father told me about the stars?” Lance asked quietly.

“What?”

“My ancestors are up there, watching us.”

“So… voyeurism?” Keith asked dubiously, causing Lance to laugh.

“No. I think they might be… proud, y’know?” Lance smiled softly. “At least… I hope so. Maybe not. After all, I abandoned you, and everyone else.”

“Lance,” Keith sighed. “Are you going to go back?”

Lance knew he’d have to face this. “I… I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.” He sat up and buried his face in his knees. “This place… it’s like paradise. I don’t  _ have _ to go back. But I should. I know I should.”

“I really don’t want to fight you on this,” Keith murmured. “But Lance, you have to come back! There are so many people that deserve saving from Lotor. He’s corrupted all of Altea, and it’s horrible, Lance…”

“But…” Lance didn’t know what to say. He really didn’t. “I know you’re right, but… I don’t know.”

Keith suddenly jumped up, and reached inside his cloak for something. “Lance, have you ever heard of luxite?”

“I… think it has magic or something? Communes with the dead?”

“Here. Take this.” Keith handed Lance a knife. “It’s luxite. I… I’ll leave you alone for a bit.”

Lance watched as Keith got up and vanished into the trees, headed for the shack. Why did Keith give him a luxite knife? It was… it was…

It clicked. Lance looked at the knife, running his fingers along the edge. A slight hint of ruby blood was his reward. Should he… should he talk to them? His parents?

Lance nodded to himself and held the knife up to the light. It began to glow, and he thought of them. Shiro and Allura. The king and queen. His parents. Two of the most amazing, loving, brave people in the world.

Slowly, two shimmering figures materialized. Mist curled around the clearing. The two figures gradually became more distinct, and they became Shiro and Allura.

“Lance,” Allura whispered, her voice echoing and almost surreal. “My son.” She smiled gently.

“Lance,” Shiro repeated. He reached out, and the glowing hand passed through Lance’s cheek, leaving behind a chill that made Lance shiver. “You have forgotten your duty, and in turn, have forgotten us.”

“No,” Lance mumbled, his eyes wide. “No, I swear I never forgot you! Mother, Father!”

“Look inside yourself, Lance,” Allura said, her voice as commanding as ever, yet with a touch of softness. “You are more than what you’ve become… you must take your place in Altea.”

“How can I go back, when they all know I killed you?” Lance whispered, tears suddenly streaming down his cheeks in a matter of seconds. “I… I can’t go back…”

“Remember who you are, Lance.” They began to fade, back into light, leaving him again. “Remember… remember…”

Lance fell to his knees, crying. He mumbled the last words to himself, over and over again.

_ Remember, remember, remember _ .

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH
> 
> i nearly cried while writing this
> 
> sorry for not updating in so long!
> 
> maybe not an update tomorrow, but soon!


	7. Shining Far Away...

“Lotor?”

He looked up from his book to see Acxa looking at him, a frown upon her face.

“What is it?”

“Lotor, we have no food,” Acxa reported. “There’s nowhere left to hunt, because it’s all been destroyed. The people are unhappy, and… well, you already know.”

_Yes, his kitten had run away._

Lotor gave a long sigh. “Did we get any leads on where he might have gone?”

Acxa looked like she wanted to reprimand him, but she was in no position to do that. Too bad for her. “Well, someone claimed they saw him leave for the desert.”

“The desert,” Lotor mused, the gears turning in his head. Lance had gone towards the desert, hadn’t he? But there was no way his kitten could possibly know that. There was only death that way. Unless… “Acxa, do we have any old maps?”

“From how long ago?” Ezor asked suddenly, popping into existence beside him, causing Lotor to jump with a shocked expression. “From before _Shiro and-_ ”

“What did you say?” Lotor demanded, scowling. “Didn’t I tell you I never wanted to hear either of those names again?”

“I said… Kiro. You know, the king from a few centuries ago? Warrior guy? Yeah, real tough…” Ezor trailed off, and Acxa sighed.

“He’ll be back soon enough, _Your Majesty_ ,” Acxa said, sniffing at using those words. She wasn’t one for royal politics, Lotor knew, but they had somehow ended up tangled together, so Acxa would just have to deal with it.

“Hmm…” Lotor sighed and looked out the window of his study. It was really what used to be the library, but no one else used the massive room. All of this knowledge, gone to waste. “I suppose if my kitten met a traitor, they’d return soon enough…”

Acxa and Ezor looked at each other and shrugged, before saluting. “Vrepit sa.” They both left the room.

What was he going to do, without his kitten and the threat of his adopted brother hanging over his head?

“Your Majesty?” The orange-haired royal advisor poked his head into the room. “There was another riot on the north side of town today.”

“Was it put to a stop?” Lotor asked without looking up. Oh, how he _despised_ Coran. But the advisor was useful in a way Acxa, Ezor, Narti, and Zethrid couldn’t replicate.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Then get out of my study.”

When Coran’s footsteps finally faded from the hallway, Lotor relaxed. He was really in a rut here, wasn’t he? This was the most rebellious the people had been in all of his six years as ruler.

Maybe it was because his kitten was gone.

Who knew?

Lotor had a feeling everything would come to fruition soon enough.

…

When Keith woke up the next morning, he immediately noticed the knife lying on the other side of the bed. No Lance. Where did he go?

Beside the knife, there was a piece of paper with words scribbled onto it.

 

 _Thank you. I know what I need to do now._ _I love-- See you soon._

_Lance_

 

“Did he go home?” Keith wondered out loud. That couldn’t be… he hadn’t wanted to go back before. Had he really seen his parents? Did that affect his decision that much? It must have, if Lance was gone now.

He rolled out of bed none-too-elegantly and straightened the cloak, then made his way over to Pidge and Hunk’s homes. Keith figured that if they had basically raised Lance since he was fourteen, they would want to know where he went, even if Altea’s affairs concerned them no longer.

…

The rainforest was peaceful.

Keith hadn’t had time to appreciate it before, with the shock of finding Lance and all that. Including whatever was going on between them… How would that change when Lance faced Lotor? Keith would rather Lance didn’t face Lotor at all. He would rather fight in Lance’s place, to make up for everything Lotor had taken from him.

_It’s going to be a mess._

He turned his thoughts back to the rainforest. The morning dew mixed with last night’s rainshower, making the leaves glitter in the sunlight. The _sunlight_ biting into Keith’s pale skin, warm and harsh at the same time. How long had it been since he escaped? And before that, how long had he been trapped inside the palace?

Through the trees, Keith spotted a hut. It looked just like Lance’s, but the roof was yellow, where Lance’s was blue. And nearby, now that he knew where to look, there was a green roof. He couldn’t even begin to guess which one was whose.

Luckily, he didn’t have to. As he drew nearer, he saw Pidge passed out next to some invention, their face resting on Hunk’s stomach. It was… kind of a nice sight. It looked soft? Keith felt bad about waking them up, but he had no choice. He stepped up to the sleeping pair and gently poked Hunk’s side, but when Hunk didn’t respond, Keith tried shaking Pidge. Neither of them woke up.

He frowned and looked at them. How was he supposed to tell them what happened to Lance if neither of them woke up? This was proving harder than he thought. Should he just… not tell them? They’d probably figure it out, Pidge and Hunk were both fairly smart.

Keith tried one last time to shake Pidge and Hunk awake before shouting, “Wake up!”

They both flinched awake and looked at him with wide eyes. Of course it took all of that.

“Galra!” Hunk yelled, but when Keith just stared at him, his yell faded away. “Keith?”

“Yeah, it is me,” Keith said, rolling his eyes. “Look- you guys didn’t happen to see Lance around here last night, did you? Maybe… storing food?”

“Lance?” Pidge asked, narrowing their eyes. “You didn’t do anything to him, did you?”

“Me?” Keith yelped. “No! He went back to Altea.”

Pidge and Hunk regarded him in silence for a moment before bombarding him with questions.

“Why?”

“Altea?”

“Did something happen?”

“Is he okay?”

“Isn’t Altea under the rule of a dictator?”

Keith dragged a hand over his face. “Okay, okay, slow down. Lance had to go back to Altea to defeat his evil brother, who’s not really his brother, but that’s not the point. He’s got to reclaim the throne because he’s our rightful king, but he has no idea what it’s like over there, what Lotor is capable of.”

The other two were silent for a moment, before Hunk timidly asked, “So Lance is really royalty?”

“Of course he is,” Keith snorted. “He’s too refined to be a commoner, even if you disregard his white hair, which nobody else in Altea has- except Lotor.”

“I knew it!” Pidge exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. “He was terrible at hiding it.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Hunk added. “So what’s this about an evil brother?”

“Lotor,” Keith scowled, his voice darkening, while the pair stared at him. “He launched a coup six years ago, killed Lance’s parents, who were Lotor’s own adopted parents, and chased Lance away, deeming him a traitor. He took over Altea and it’s… ruined. Altea’s beauty will forever be marred by Lotor. And he-” Keith’s voice broke, and he felt desperate tears prick at his eyes. No, he couldn’t afford to be weak right now.

“Woah,” Hunk said. “Look buddy, we’ll go after Lance, okay?”

“It sounds like he needs us, anyway,” Pidge added, giving a small, reassuring smile. “Come on. Let’s eat something, then try to find him.”

“Okay. Okay, let’s do that,” Keith said, letting out a breath. “Let’s go.”

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, I know this is kinda short, but what I started writing next wouldn't really fit, so?? hope you enjoyed this chapter??
> 
> thank you for reading <3


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